Shock-absorbing apparatus



Jan. 30, 1923. 1,443,706.

J. B. EXPOSITO.

SHOCK ABSORBING APPARATUS. FILED OCT. 9, I922.

3144mm toz W ah attorney Patented Jan. 3%, i923.

cnrr' srrss JOSE BILBAO EXPOSITO, F HABANA, CUBA.

SHOCK-ABSORBING APPARATUS.

Application filed October 9, 1922. Serial No. 593,400.

To all who-m. it H'MF/ concern Be it known that 1, Jose BILBAO Exrosrro, a subject of he King of Spain. and resident of Habana, Cuba, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SllOCl I-r"Ll)SOl'l) ing Apparatus. of which the following a specification.

This invention relates to a shock absorbing apparatus applicable to trains, particularly to electric trains and its main object is to provide an apparatus of this class, of simple construction and efficient operation whereby it is possible to reduce or almost totally absorb the effects of the collision of a train Or electric car with any object on the track and also to prevent mortal injury to a person accidentally lying on the track who may be struck.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus having mechanisms adapt ing the apparatus to easily follow the curves of the track without retarding the movement of the train and which mechanism may be used or not, as may be necessary or desirable With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is an upper plan View of the apparatus forming the subject matter of this invention, with parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of said apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a partial inverted cross vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan View, from the bottom, of the suspension mechanism of the apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a detail elevatiom partly in section showing the catch element of the gear actuating the extending or withdrawing device of the apparatus.

This apparatus consists of a frame formed by three parallel tubes 1 and l, the latter occupying an intermediate position with the other two, thethree tubes being hinged at- 2 to a support 3 fixed-to the front part of the truck of a car or like vehicle and its union braced by two bars 3 arranged as guards at its sides and the ends of which are secured by screws to the sides of the support 3 and to each tube 1. Tubes 1 and 1 are connected to each other near their front ends by a cross piece 4 beneath which are mounted inter-meshing 5 and 6. the gear (3 also engaging a rack bar 7 which is slidablv mounted in the intermediate tube 1 through a side slot. The shaft of the gear 5 is of square section and prO ects above the cross piece 4.

The side tubes 1 act as guides to two tubes S which are telescopically mounted therein and the front ends of which are secured to a horizontal supporting frame 9 whose front end presents an angular recess 9' over which extends a long narrow pad 10 of a resilient material. such as rubber. The front end of the rack bar 7 is also secured to said frame 9:

below the front end of the car, there being secured to each side of hook 14 the ends of two helical springs 16 whose opposite ends are also fixed to the front lower part of the car and which cause the rocking bar 13 con.- nected to the upper part of the net 11 to follow the curves of the track on which the car travels. The supporting frame 9 rests on rollers 17 which rotate loosely on a transverse horizontal shaft 17" with which the frame is provided. l

The operation of extending or withdrawing the net 11 when it is so desired is effected by operating with a key or any other proper tool 18 on the square end of the shaft of the gear wheel 5 projecting on the cross bar 4, whereby the rack bar 7 which engages the wheel 6 and which is fixed at itsfront end to frame 9 will cause the same to advance or retract together with the metallic net 11. Tubes 1 telescopically slide into tubes 8 and the net 11 consequently will extend or withdraw in front of the car. In order to prevent the movement of gears 56 and bar 7. there is provided an arrangementwhich is illustrated in detail in Fig. 5 consisting of a tube 19 secured in a hole 18 in cross-bar & and in which is mounted a catch pin 19' and which is acted upon by a spring 18 to.

cause the lower end of the pinto project, from the tube 19 and to en 'age with wheel 5. The upper end of the pin has an eye 19 which is engaged by a hook 17 provided with a laterally toothedsha'nk as indicated in 1 and terminating in a hand hold. The teeth of the handle serve to lock the hook '17 to any convenient object on the car when the pin is pulled upwardly to withdraw into tube 19 the point of the pin 19 against the tension of spring 18 thewheel-S.

The apparatus is further provided with a suspension mechanism at its front part consis ing of a pending cross horizontal bar 20 which longitudinally carries a movable tubular roller 21 and has its ends ini'vardly curved and terminated in brackets 20 slidably mounted on a horizontal shaft 22, the guide tubes 1 and 1 bearing the ratchet bar 7 slidably resting on the roller 21 ()n the ends of shaft 22 are fixed t right angle two brackets 23 formed by two vertical plates nod to each side of sh n; 22 and having holes 2st to receive the ange pins .253 of threaded rods 26 which have wing n uts; 2? whereby to iii the apparatus at a cr nrcuient height as when raised from the track or lowered as indicated in rig. 2, o picl; up any person or object lying thereon. The pad 10 and the extended net 11, prevent or largely reduce the shoclr. The sliding arrangement of bar 20 on haft 22 permits also the lateral displacement of tubes 1 and 1 on the roller 21, aiding the oscillation of he apparatus to conform to any variation or curve of the track.

28 designates a metallic net arrangedat the front part of the car and flexibly maintained at some distance therefrom. Said net has an opening 29 the height of the light which is generally placed in that part of the car so as to have access thereto without necessity of, taking off the net.

Having thus described my invention and the manner in which the same is effected, what I claim is: a

1. A shock absorbing apparatus applicable to trains, consisting of a metallic net supported at its lower part to an extensible running frame supported at its upper part to a frame oscillatorily mounted at the front and release part of the train; a regulated suspension mechanism for the apparatus permitting the free movement of same in the curves; and means for extending or withdrawing the supporting extensible frame.

2. A shock absorbing apparatus applica- 'ble to trains, consisting of a metallic not supported at its lower part to an extensible running frame supported at its upper part to a frame oscillatorily mounted at the front part of the train; a regulated suspension mechanism for the apparatus permitting the free movement of same in the curves; a rubber pad in the lower part of the net and means for extending or withdrawing the supporting extensible frame.

3. A shock absorbing apparatus, applicable to trains which consists in a rolling supporting frame at which front part is fixed and transversely inclined a narrow and elongated plate of a flexible material such as rubber and the lower end of a metallic net; a rocking frame connected to the upper part of the metallic net and to the front part of a car or tramway; a ratchet bar fixed at its front end to the rolling supporting frame and slidable through a guide articulated to the front part of the car truck; a gear connection with said ratchet bar and means to rotate said gears to advance or withdraw the ratchet bar together with the sliding supporting frame; means for maintaining iR'LOPQIZLtlYQ said gears and a mechanism to n'iaintain suspended at rarious heights on the track the metallic net and the lower flexible pad and which permits the scillation of the apparatus to conform to the diffe' a; variations of the track.

A shock absorbing apparatus applicable to trains comprising a rolling supporting frame at which front part is "ersally lined an inclined plate of a flexible material such rubber and the lower part of the metallic net; a rocking cross bar connected to the upper ends of the metallic net and at its center to a supporting bar fixed below the front part of the car two coil springs connected to the middle portion of the cross bar and to the front part of the car; a ratchet bar and two stems at each side thereof secured at its front ends to the rolling supporting frame being slidable into tubular guides articulated to the front of the car truck; a cross piece securing together the three tubular guides; two boards secured as guards at the side of said guides; a gear wheel meshing with the ratchet bar and which gear wheel meshes with another gear wheel both wheels being mounted below the cross bar and the shaft of the second shaft projecting on the cross bar to be gyrated by an appropriate tool conse piently causing to advance or withdraw the ratchet bar bearing the rolling supporting frame; a pin vertically mounted through a tubular cover arr nged on the second gear wheel and which carries around a coil spring arranged in side said cover, the lower end of the pin projecting through the tube and the cross piece to connect with the second gear wheel and maintain same immovable, said pin being adapted to be raiser by means of a proper tool against the tension of the spring inside i s cover to leave free the gear wheel; a suspension bar which carries loosely and longitudinally a tubular roller on which bear the tubular guides of the stems and of the ratchet bar said suspension bar being slidably mounted on a horizontal shaft provided at its ends with supports of regulable height secured in a pending manner beneath the lower part of the car by ear nuts; and a metallic net flexibly maintained in front of the front part of the car on the exte sible metallic net.

In witness whereof I shit; my signature.

JOSE BILBAO EXPUSITO.

l O U 

